Chief’s Honor Award

The Deschutes National Forest is important wildlife habitat, an economic engine for our region, a source of clean and abundant water, and a world-class recreational playground. The forest is the backdrop of our lives, a core piece of our identity as Central Oregonians. We count on the forest. Now the forest is counting on us. After nearly a century of unsustainable forest management practices, including fire suppression in our forests, we now live next to a literal tinderbox. Without action, the forests we love and many of the things we care about in and around them are at risk.

Recent Projects

The West Bend Project is one of 10 primary forest restoration project areas on national forestland within the larger 250,000+ acre Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project landscape. The goals of this project: restore forest ecosystems, reduce the potential of high-severity wildfire, and provide economic and social benefits to local communities.

What We Do

Forest restoration can't wait

The Deschutes National Forest is important wildlife habitat, an economic engine for our region, a source of clean and abundant water, and a world-class recreational playground.

The forest is the backdrop of our lives, a core piece of our identity as Central Oregonians. But it needs our help. Without action, the forests we love and many of the things we care about in and around them are at risk.

Diverse People, Common Goals

The Deschutes Collaborative is a group of diverse stakeholders bringing our community together to improve the health of our forest, supporting active restoration projects to reach common goals:

1. Reduced risk of catastrophic effects of wildfire
2. Improved wildlife and fish habitat
3. Thriving local businesses that depend on the forest
4. The well-being of those who work in, live by and love our forest

Help Us Move Forward

We are working together, in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, to overcome past conflict and gridlock to restore balance in our forests, making them more resilient to fire, insects, diseases, and climate change.

Join us as stewards of the forest we all love and share. Tell your friends, neighbors and family about this important work. Sign up for notifications and updates, public meetings and forest tours. Ask us to come and speak to your community group.